BMW G 650 Xcountry Wins German Design Award

14th February 2008

It's official. The new BMW G 650 Xcountry is a winner.

Just a few months into its production life and coinciding with
its arrival in Australian BMW Motorrad dealer showrooms, the
exciting BMW G 650 Xcountry has won a coveted German Design Award,
backing up a 'red dot 2007' award for excellence in design
conferred across the G 650 family last year.

The BMW G 650 Xcountry has secured a Gold "Design Award of the
Federal Republic of Germany", of which only five are awarded each
year across the entire design spectrum.

A total of 744 designs of all types of manufactured articles
were nominated for the awards, making the BMW success all the
sweeter.

Michael Glos, Federal Minister of Economics and Technology,
presented the award during the opening ceremony of the "Ambiente"
trade fair in Frankfurt, held last weekend (8-12 February 2008).
Ambiente is the largest trade show for consumer goods in
Europe.

BMW Group has won the award five times in succession. Among the
winners of past years were the BMW 6 Series Coupé and
Convertible. BMW Motorrad's success in 2008 shows yet again that
the development of innovative concepts and their sophisticated
visual functionality is a recipe for success.

The BMW G 650 Xcountry sets new standards in its segment. The 39
kW single-cylinder machine is just as much at home in urban traffic
as it is cutting loose along dirt roads.

It is light, agile and easy and rewarding to ride, and with its
unique styling, instantly identifiable as a modern BMW.

David Robb, Head of BMW Motorcycle Design Studio explains: "When
we create motorcycles, we wish to create a composition with details
that contribute to a harmonious whole, whether we are dealing with
air inlets, rear mirrors or seat, air box and clutch covers.

"BMW Motorcycle design is not dominated by technological
requirements but by the personality of the rider.

"Riding a motorbike is an extremely involving experience. The
more emotional our design, the more our customers get from the
ownership experience."

Chris Bangle, Head of BMW Group Design says: "The strength of BMW
Motorcycle design is how it merges technology with aesthetics."